- Where did it all start?
Copeland Furniture began in 1976 in a garage in East Corinth, Vermont, making a variety of wood products (not just wood furniture) from native hardwoods. The Appalachian mountains in New England are well known for their prized hardwoods, including some species that are not commonly encountered elsewhere.
Originally, Copeland began making cider presses for local families, in keeping with the New England tradition of honest work and specifically with Vermont’s tradition of honoring its agrarian heritage.
Though it was originally founded by a single person and operated out of a home, Copeland’s quality craftsmanship and unique designs grew it steadily into the icon it remains today.
- Where is Copeland’s operation headquartered today?
Copeland is true to its roots and to its original vision. Though they are no longer based in East Corinth, they never left Vermont. As Copeland grew, it eventually outpaced its resources and needed a new space. Today, Copeland is centered in Bradford, Vermont, along the Connecticut River. They now own and operate a first-class facility, and keep to their original guiding principles.
- Is their furniture benchmade? Is it made in America still?
To answer the question fully, we would like to reiterate that Copeland is not only still headquartered stateside, in Vermont, but that all of its operations are conducted domestically as well.
Today, Copeland not only remains in Vermont where they started; they are the largest employer in their town of Bradford, Vermont. Their designs are still produced from the highest-quality local, native hardwoods, but they are still entirely made by skilled artisans here in the United States.
Additionally, Copeland remains a family owned and operated company, just as it was nearly fifty years ago when they started. The values of integrity, hard work, and quality production still run through everything they do, which is one of the reasons Copeland is such a respected name in the industry for top-tier, handmade, hardwood furniture.
- Do they use high-quality native hardwood stock and proven methods?
Yes, Copeland does make use of hardwood stock, including examples of woods that are found in their area of Vermont, to this day. They use nothing but the highest quality premium hardwoods that they can source and use only components that are functionally and aesthetically superior.
As for proven construction techniques, much like us here at Ohio Hardwood Furniture, Copeland uses only proven techniques and methods in the construction of their hardwood furniture. This results in designs that are not only beautiful but also able to last for many years with the right care and maintenance.
- How would you classify the design aesthetic of Copeland’s collection?
That is an excellent question but unfortunately, it is very difficult to answer it succinctly. Copeland’s furniture has been called minimalistic, Scandinavian, and it has even been said to draw its influence from some “Artsy” designs. Some merchants selling Copeland pieces have also called them mid-century modern in their appeal. One might argue that their simple design aesthetic is a leave over from America’s early agricultural colonial days when design to a backseat to function and a unique type of appeal emerged as a result.
Copeland doesn’t neatly fit into any echelon of design and certainly possesses traits that make it very unique and individualistic. If you can see a minimalist trend in their designs, you can probably also see what might even have an edge of “art nouveau” to it.
It’s best to take it at face value instead of trying to dissect and categorize it. Besides, much of the beauty of Copeland’s designs come from the raw materials from which they are produced.
- Alright, it’s hard to neatly categorize it. How can I decorate with these “eccentric” designs?
Even though it isn’t easy to say just exactly what is most typical of Copeland’s designs, that doesn’t mean that you can make artful use of them in your home and your other living spaces, such as offices and common areas.
Because Copeland designs do seem to have a pronounced slant in the direction of “minimalism” that makes them more compatible with a larger number of other aesthetics than anything else. Would an ornately graven, baroque, French Country-Esque dining table do well in the presence of a set of chairs from Copeland? Not overtly, but it could be argued that the incongruousness of the designs offered some sort of modern harmony. Kind of like if you take two anachronistic themes and place them next to each other. Sometimes there is something pleasant about it.
In other words, there are more designs that Copeland will do well alongside than those with which they are incompatible. That is if there are any trends with which Copeland really is incompatible, to begin with.
- What rooms in my home would benefit most from the addition of Copeland Furniture?
That is a question that is much easier to answer than the one listed above. Copeland specifically makes furniture for a number of rooms in your house. To get a real appreciation for their specialties and an overall feel for the spirit of their design, we ask you to look at our collection of ready-to-ship Copeland Furniture floor items so you can see what they’re all about.
However, to give you a synopsis, there are several designs for which Copeland is particularly renowned. Among them are the beds, dressers, and nightstands they produce for the bedroom, along with the dining room tables and sets they produce for dining areas and common areas.
In addition, Copeland is well known and beloved for its drawer chests, coffee tables, and many other designs.
- Is all Copeland Furniture ready-to-ship or can I have a piece of furniture created especially for me?
You’ll notice that in the space above we specifically directed you to our collection of ready-to-ship Copeland floor items. That’s where you can get familiar with some of the Copeland items that we actually keep on hand and have in stock at the moment. These vary from time to time.
Copeland’s bread and butter, however, is not in a push strategy. They don’t just produce hoping that envious customers will buy; their repute has gone far beyond that. The center of Copeland’s operation lies in customer orders, specially requested by its customers and then made-to-order.
Check out our location for Copeland made-to-order items where you can see what kinds of designs they are known for and what you can have them produce for your home. As you will see when you investigate the collection, you’re closer than ever to a fresh new look for your bedroom, dining room, or elsewhere in your home - where the beauty of the medium, natural hardwood, takes center stage.
- Can I have a template or a design made in the wood of my choice?
Custom made furnishings wouldn’t be much good if you couldn’t have your pick of the medium, would they be? They wouldn’t be very custom at all, come to think of it.
So, in short, yes, you can choose between your pick of hardwood construction media for most of Copeland’s designs, which you can see enumerated on any of the product pages. Check out the collection of built-to-order items that we offer from Copeland and select your favorite. It will say right in the listing what wood the item is made from, although you can change the stain - see below for more details.
Many of Copeland’s most popular designs are made from cherry or maple, but if you would like to learn more about what else they can offer, get in touch with us and we would be more than happy to go over any other opportunities that exist, and where.
Check out the page above and make sure you contact us if you have any questions regarding what woods you can have your favorite piece made from.
- What about stains, finishes, or other options for customization?
Good news for anyone shopping through our Copeland collection who wants to see their favorite nightstand or chest of drawers, but with a slightly different character. Even if it is only offered in cherry wood construction, you might be able to get the look you want anyway.
Let’s say you click on a given nightstand that can only be produced in cherry wood; if you love the look of the dresser but the light color of cherry is just too bright for your setting, just pick a configuration and then move onto stain options; you can see them right on the product page.
Copeland often gives you the ability to choose whatever stain you want to pair with a custom made offer, including but not limited to natural cherry, smoke cherry, and cognac cherry. Those who are looking for a more rustic look might appreciate the stain color of saddle cherry, pictured below in the sample image, whereas others might be more interested in the dark tones of smoke cherry.
- Are there any options for discounts or savings?
Since you asked, you’ll be happy to know that there are options for discounts and savings with special pricing, but not on custom made items. We keep a collection of floor items on hand that for one reason or another are granted redacted pricing, but it’s impossible for us to predict what we will have in our collection at any given time.
Rather, the best way to get a deal is to keep yourself from being a stranger. Stop by our collection of reduced furniture from time to time and make sure you keep your eyes open for designs for your home - you never know if you’ll find something from Copeland in the collection.
Even if you don’t see your preferred Copeland item, we often have floor items from Hallagan, Carolina Custom Leather, CR Laine, and many others represented in our collection of reduced items. It’s the best way on our site to get a really good deal on great furniture - maybe even the deal of a lifetime.
- Can I see how others are using Copeland designs in their homes and living spaces for some inspiration?
Of course, you can see how others are using Copeland furniture to get inspired and to come up with ideas from your own home - but it might take a little bit of digging. Visit our partner, Copeland’s website, or better yet, follow us on Instagram where you can see some high-quality photos showing off some of our nicest items.
Follow us and you’ll be the first to know what’s coming, what’s new, and to get inspiration for how to decorate with furniture - including Copeland but in no way limited to it!
In fact, follow us on social media and you’ll be ahead of the game, whether you’re waiting for new items to hit the market or just like to get ideas from photography and arrangements.
- What about Ohio Hardwood? What can Ohio Hardwood Furniture offer me besides Copeland’s designs?
We’re so glad you asked! We offer much more than just Copeland, Wesley Hall, Hubbardton Forge, Thayer Coggin, and McKinley Leather Furniture here on our website. We also offer our own collection of unique designs, made from locally sourced, sustainably harvested hardwoods and produced using only proven methods and techniques.
Much like Copeland, here at Ohio Hardwood Furniture, we place a great emphasis on community, heritage, and quality. That’s why we produce furniture only from native hardwoods that have been sustainably sourced. Whereas some producers might harvest trees within three years, we often take much longer - it’s not uncommon for us to allow trees to mature for 10 years before harvesting. This preserves the ecology of a system and also provides higher quality lumber.
In addition, we take steps to ensure that we minimize waste in our processes. For example, we burn scraps, odds, and ends of wood as fuel. We also reuse wood chips as mulch and sawdust as animal bedding.
We do all of that while producing some of the finest benchmade furniture that is still handmade right here in America. In that respect, we’re not so different from Copeland.
To learn more about our environmentally-friendly processes or about the styles of furniture, including modern furniture, we create, take a leisurely ramble through our website. If you can, visit us in our store in Peninsula, Ohio. We love to see our customers in the store, and that’s the best way to get a feel for our designs. Call us today at 330-657-2095 to set up a time to visit!